One Reason Some Cannabis Products Might Hit Differently Than Others

You may have heard the expression “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That is to say, having a cake is better than simply having all its ingredients. Or having a car is better than having a garage full of car parts.

This concept is the gist of the Entourage Effect. Experiencing the plant as it naturally occurs is better than breaking down its chemical compounds into parts and using them separately.  

The “parts” of cannabis can mostly be divided into three categories:

• terpenes

• flavonoids

• cannabinoids

All three can be isolated and impart therapeutic effects on their own. But together, as the “whole,” their natural powers amplify each other to deliver much more balanced effects. This group effort is what’s known as the Entourage Effect, and it’s one of the reasons why not all cannabis products hit the same.

Let’s break down the parts to better understand the whole.

What Are Terpenes?

You’re actually quite familiar with terpenes, even if you’re not sure what they are.

Terpenes are aromatic compounds that help to give all plants their taste and smell. They’re one of the main chemicals that cause weed to smell skunky, roses to smell sweet, and fennel to taste like licorice. They’re also behind the citrus scents in your cleaning products, the lavender aroma of your favorite candle, and the pine smell coming from your car’s air freshener.

While there’s not a ton of research on terpenes in general, some do have science behind them. For example, limonene, the citrus terpene, has been shown to have anti-anxiety effects. Linalool, the lavender terpene, has been shown to have antidepressant effects. Beta-caryophyllene, found in plants like clove and rosemary, can impart anti-inflammatory effects.

There are more than 20,000 terpenes in nature. So far, a few hundred have been identified in the cannabis plant. (Sources claim anywhere from 100-400+.)

What Are Flavonoids? 

Flavonoids are not as commonly known as terpenes, but they also play a huge role in the natural world. Like terpenes, they help to give plants their aroma. They also add to the color of plants, help to attract pollinators, and act as a defense against stressors like insects and severe weather.

Flavonoids are becoming more popular in diets, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics because of their documented anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties.

What Are Cannabinoids?

The cannabinoids that are a part of the cannabis plant are known as phytocannabinoids. They’re the psychoactive compounds that can impart intoxicating effects. You know them as THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD (cannabidiol), CBN (cannabinol), etc.

Your body also creates its own cannabinoids known as endocannabinoids, within your Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The cannabis plant’s phytocannabinoids act on the same ECS receptors as your body’s endocannabinoids. This interaction is how and why you feel high after consuming THC, calm and relaxed after consuming CBD, and maybe a little sleepy after consuming CBN, etc.

The Entourage Effect: Greater Than the Sum of the Parts

Although all three parts have their own benefits and effects, it’s when they work together to deliver the Entourage Effect that we experience the most balanced effects.

To put it into perspective, consider this example:

Aspirin is made with salicin. Salicin is naturally derived from white willow bark. You could drink white willow bark tea all day and experience the pain-reducing effects of salicin without issue because you’d also be consuming all of the other natural compounds in the bark? You cannot take aspirin all day without experiencing negative side effects because aspirin doesn’t have all of the bark’s other natural compounds to help balance the salicin.

The Entourage Effect works the same way. A THC isolate will get you much higher than a full spectrum product that features all of the plant’s natural compounds. It could potentially make you feel too high if it’s not balanced with other terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids to help mellow its effects.

The teamwork of terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids is so influential to the overall effects of cannabis that there’s even a current theory that terpenes and flavonoids are what determine whether a strain will be energizing or sedating, not the broad labels of Sativa and Indica.

In general, the Entourage Effect is why cannabis products and strains all hit differently. The terpene, flavonoid, and cannabinoid content of the plant varies from strain to strain and harvest to harvest, so the effects will not always be the same.

Additionally, your body’s chemistry will react differently to different terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids. Your tolerance level will play a huge part in how you experience a cannabis product as well.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

There’s a misconception right now that a cannabis consumer’s goal should be to find and use the highest amount of THC in order to enjoy the benefits of cannabis. This may be true for some, but for a lot of us, a more balanced approach is ideal.

At The Tea House in White River Junction, Vermont, we recommend learning which terpenes are prevalent in strains/products you currently enjoy and then seeking out other cannabis products that feature those terpenes. By focusing on the terpenes as opposed to the THC content, you can have a better idea of what the product’s Entourage Effect will feel like and how the product may affect you.

If you’re not sure how to get started on narrowing down your favorite terpenes or have more questions about the Entourage Effect, reach out to us! Our budtenders are happy to offer more detail about the Entourage Effect and the chemical makeup of strains that might suit you best. Get in touch with us today.